The Politics of Ontario

by Cheryl Collier (Editor), Jonathan Malloy (Editor)

Ontario is the most populous of Canada's provinces, contains the country's largest city, and continues to be the centre of finance, IT, and media. It is also experiencing significant changes and upheavals. The Politics of Ontario is the first comprehensive book on Ontario's politics, government, and public policy since Graham White's The Government and Politics of Ontario in 1997. Although The Politics of Ontar io follows in the same tradition, it departs in several ways. While not losing sight of the enduring themes of Ontario politics and political culture, it reflects the fact that Ontario is no longer Canada's primary economic engine. Instead of emphasizing the continuity and gradual evolution of Ontario politics, it focuses on change, disruption, and the uncertainty of the political and policy environment through explorations of fiscal and economic policy, the environment, labour, multiculturalism, and the complexities of urbanization, with particular attention given to greater Toronto. The book is divided into four Settings, Institutions, Politics, and Policy. It contains 28 charts, tables, and graphs, and features contributions by virtually all of the leading scholars in the field, including an introductory chapter by Graham White.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

368 pages, Paperback

Published December 7, 2016

Reviews

[Colin Bruce Anthes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the McGuinty/Wynne Liberals have certainly mismanaged individual items, Ontario’s overarching economic hurdles have clearly far more to do with the Mulroney Free Trade Agreement, later expanded by NAFTA—just yesterday GM sent another 600 jobs to Mexico. The Harris/Eves Conservatives accelerated these problems, shrinking unions when we needed them most, and covering up a $5.6 Billion deficit. Today, none of the three parties have plans to address the low-wage neoliberal direction of our economy, and as hydro rates have the complete spotlight, this is unlikely to change. The next election is thus, I suspect, of small consequence. The big show will likely be two elections from now.